Schicksal HQ, Otto's Office
In Otto's office, he looked at the medical report submitted by the medical department and finally let out a sigh of relief.
Perhaps to an uninformed outsider, Otto, looking relieved at this medical report, would seem like a leader concerned for his subordinate.
And in reality—that was indeed the case.
Whatever the reason, Otto was genuinely concerned about Leo Ash's safety right now.
To a certain extent, Otto's concern for Leo Ash, the 'sacrifice', had far surpassed his concern for K423, the 'guest of honor' for the next ceremony.
After all—K423 was behaving herself, and she even had people watching over her when she went out to fight Honkai Beasts.
That once slightly arrogant little girl had actually toned it down quite a bit because of Leo Ash's presence.
As for Leo Ash now—he loved to charge into things all the time, and on top of that, his luck was exceptionally bad.
Trouble followed him wherever he went, and even though he was improving at a fast enough pace, he somehow always managed to encounter even stronger enemies...
Although this 'mine detector' Leo Ash could not only detect mines but also dig them up, Otto was genuinely scared now.
The more Leo Ash acted, the more he realized Leo's importance in his plan.
If Leo Ash died out there right now...
Kiana would most likely go crazy.
But Otto would definitely go crazy before Kiana did.
"Mm, it's good that your body is fine."
"I'm giving you a special order—return to the Far East Branch and rest for a month. Don't even think about any other missions this time. Resting peacefully is your most important mission."
Normally, a boss who was usually an ass being humane enough to let him off overtime should be a good thing.
But the problem was—he still had things to do. Being suddenly grounded like this, there was no way he could be happy.
Leo Ash didn't want to rest.
Right now, all he wanted to do was stick Jizō Mitama into the computers of the breached World Serpent bases and see if he could get any intelligence to kill Gray Serpent.
"Alright, I know you want to kill World Serpent—I want that too."
Seeing the defiant look on Leo Ash's face, Otto said helplessly.
"But right now, you need to rest properly more than you need to rush in recklessly."
"This time in England, you were suddenly attacked—do you remember what happened during that attack a few hours ago?"
*Here it comes.*
*He mentioned this attack so casually. It seems no matter how much Otto trusts me, he's still subconsciously wary of everyone.*
*He's using this nonchalant tone because he doesn't want others to see his unusually strong desire for the Second Divine Key.*
"Mm, I was about to report on that matter."
After Otto brought it up, Leo Ash didn't recall his conversation with Su, but instead tried hard to remember Otto's past actions.
In the next instant, Otto saw rage in Leo Ash's eyes... no, it was more than rage. It was definitely killing intent.
"That squinty-eyed man, he inexplicably grabbed me and took me somewhere, saying he wanted to test me. But after what felt like a nap, he said I failed the test and wasn't the person he was looking for."
"I was confused at the time and already angry about being kidnapped, and then that squinty-eyed man just beat the crap out of me."
"Although I didn't die in the end, that guy—I'm sure he's no good person!"
*Wow, this kid Leo Ash is usually quite polite to everyone besides the Honkai and his enemies, yet he's this angry this time.*
*His killing intent and anger are absolutely genuine; you can't fake that with normal acting.*
*And this killing intent, which shouldn't be directed at me, seems to be radiating towards me now...*
*The young man still can't control his emotions properly.*
*Sigh, you are still too young, Leo Ash.*
After seeing Leo Ash's expression, although Otto's suspicion of him had mostly dissipated, he still activated Fenghuang Down out of habit.
"Leo Ash, what is the thing you want to do most right now?"
"To brutally beat that bastard's face with the Grips of Taixu! To slap him silly!"
*Alright, I shouldn't have wasted my energy.*
*The killing intent in his subconscious is even more terrifying, at least three times stronger.*
*And I still had suspicions about Leo Ash... Heh, forget it. Maintaining suspicion towards everything is a good habit to keep.*
*I'm not a good leader myself anyway, so I might as well follow my own instincts in this regard.*
*I'm planning to sacrifice Leo Ash in the future anyway. To be troubled by such small things at a time like this...*
*Perhaps I've invested too much energy in him.*
After deactivating Mimic Fenghuang Down, Otto finally told Leo Ash to cool down and find some time to return to the Far East Branch to calm himself.
Just before Leo Ash left, Otto saw, for a rare moment, visible dissatisfaction on his obedient subordinate's face.
*Heh, how rare.*
*This kid is usually dead nervous in front of me, but now he's this angry just because I won't let him participate in missions related to World Serpent.*
*Hmph, it seems the fact that Rita was injured by World Serpent has made him hold a thorough grudge against them.*
*He's smart and capable, but also sentimental. A person like that is an easy pawn for me to control.*
*And for Theresa, as long as she shows him kindness, Leo Ash will naturally repay her in kind and become her most loyal subordinate.*
*However, I'll put this kid's matter aside for now.*
*Leo Ash's sudden disappearance and reappearance is basically like the Herrscher of the Void's Imaginary Gate; it can be judged as teleportation.*
*And right now, first, K423 is at the Far East Branch, and second, she hasn't completed her awakening and cannot use the Herrscher of the Void's powers.*
*So, the attack on Leo Ash can basically be attributed to the wielder of the Key of the Void.*
After tapping the light screen in front of him a few times, Otto spoke to Amber in the projection.
"Amber, mobilize the Schicksal's Mechanized Units to England. Greet the higher-ups there and tell them Schicksal has an important mission to carry out."
"I understand. I will go at once—"
"No, wait."
After a moment of thought, Otto suddenly added.
"Forget it, I will personally lead the team this time."
*The Key of the Void is the most crucial part of my plan. Once I have it, all that's left is the beacon.*
*I've finally caught a trace of the Key of the Void. Now...*
*—I cannot let it slip through my fingers because of a momentary mistake.*
Schicksal Medical Bay
Inside Schicksal's medical bay, Leo Ash looked at the still-sleeping Rita and felt that something was seriously wrong this time.
"Alright, Ash, stop staring."
Wraith, who had already guessed Leo Ash would come here, leaned against the wall and spoke helplessly to her student.
"The medical department here at headquarters has checked her dozens of times. There's nothing physically wrong with Rita."
"And Durandal has also used the Key of Creation to heal her. Even if you don't trust the medical standards of headquarters, you should at least trust a Divine Key and that child's power."
"Yes, there's nothing wrong with Big Sister Rita's body. Then..."
Looking at Rita, who remained in a deep sleep, Leo Ash looked up at Wraith, who had made a special trip here today.
"Teacher, why do you think she can't wake up?"
"Can't wake up? Perhaps it's not that she can't wake up, but that she doesn't want to."
Walking towards the hospital bed, Wraith gazed at this junior who should have been active on the front lines and said to Leo Ash.
"You've been with Rita for so long, you should know about her special constitution, right?"
"That miraculous constitution that allows her to maintain a full day of energy with only four hours of sleep. While it has no direct effect on her combat power, its influence on Rita is subtle and profound."
"Because she only needs four hours of rest each day, she can devote more time to her life and work."
"In this state, her learning speed is faster than that of an ordinary person, allowing her to grow to her current level through gradual effort and sufficient talent."
Looking at the girl before her, Wraith said with a hint of emotion.
"Theresa once said that Durandal and Rita became S-rank Valkyries through hard work and talent respectively. But in my opinion, Rita not only has considerable talent, but she has also never slacked off in terms of effort."
"It's just..."
Hearing Wraith's words trail off, Leo Ash silently met her eyes, waiting for her to continue.
"You kid, I'm trying to build some suspense and you won't even play along."
Seeing Leo Ash's direct gaze, Wraith had no choice but to continue where she left off.
"It's just that, even with that constitution, it only allows her physical body to recover to a vibrant state after four hours of rest."
"Unfortunately, our usual state depends not only on physical vitality but also on mental health."
"In the past, Rita has always strived for promotions and to save more people, which has resulted in her personality of always being busy and never wanting to stop."
"If nothing had gone wrong, it would have been fine. But when something does go wrong—her spirit could instantly collapse from the accumulated fatigue."
Seeing a hint of complaint in Wraith's eyes, Leo Ash roughly understood what she meant.
"So, Teacher, you're saying... Big Sister Rita is like this because of me?"
"You're at least one of the reasons."
Noticing a trace of guilt in Leo Ash's tone, Wraith looked at him with sympathy.
"I'm not saying this to make you blame yourself. In my opinion, self-blame doesn't solve anything."
"The reason Rita became like this, aside from her worry for you, might also be related to her own strength being unable to keep up with the battlefield situation."
"Of course, these reasons alone might not be enough to make her fall into a deep sleep. There are probably some deeper reasons that I can't figure out."
*Sigh, my poor student, don't blame me for not telling you the truth.*
*Rita is a smart person. She probably already started to sense Lord Bishop Otto's true intentions when she was protecting Wendy.*
*Dabbling in the power of a Herrscher... now that the Bishop has done these things, Rita, as his trusted subordinate, might know some more detailed information.*
*And for Rita, even if her methods have become much harsher, she is ultimately a Valkyrie who joined Schicksal to protect others.*
*Under the mental pressure of her leader not being a good person, her own strength failing to keep up, and being unable to protect her grown-up adoptive brother, Gray Serpent's attack on her became the final straw that broke the camel's back.*
*Looking at her now, she's only eighteen.*
*To make an eighteen-year-old bear so many burdens she shouldn't have to... we adults are so useless.*
*And Ash—with his personality, if he finds out things he shouldn't, his future will be uncertain.*
*So for now, these things—I absolutely cannot let you find out, kid.*
After hearing all this, Leo Ash fell silent for a few seconds before saying to Wraith.
"I understand, Teacher Wraith."
"In that case, I will follow the Bishop's orders and return to the Far East Branch first."
"Good, get some proper rest during this time."
As Leo Ash was about to leave, Wraith added.
"The Bishop has already blocked all news of your defeat, so be careful yourself not to let it slip."
"Yes."
After leaving the room, Leo Ash immediately departed from the area as quickly as possible.
Honestly, after getting Wraith out of the way, Leo Ash felt that with the help of Phantasmagoria, he might have a way to wake Rita up.
But right now, would waking Rita up really be a good thing?
If Rita woke up, her sense of responsibility as a Valkyrie would drive her to continue carrying out various missions.
And now, with the Honkai accelerating like crazy and World Serpent and Otto causing trouble one after another, Rita stepping onto the battlefield at this time would clearly only lead to greater danger.
S-rank Valkyries are very powerful.
But the current World Serpent, compared to the original story, now has powerful mass-produced individual units like the Joyce clones.
Against one Joyce clone, Rita might win easily.
But now the Joyce clones appear in groups of ten. If ten of them faced Rita, even if she got the first strike and froze their bodies with her ice powers, she wouldn't be able to break through the protective barriers they create.
As for sending Rita on other missions...
After Otto screwed over several of his powerful subordinates, Siegfried ran away, Cecilia died, Theresa maintained a state of nominal obedience but did her own thing at the Far East Branch unless something major happened, and Fu Hua, as a spy, didn't have much free time.
In the end, the situation at Schicksal would become Durandal handling high-end combat and cleaning up mobs, while Rita helped Otto with some of the more difficult tasks.
The truth was, the reason Rita could reach such a high position at eighteen was not just because of her talent and work ethic, but also because she was a really useful tool.
Now that she couldn't wake up for some reason, rather than forcing her awake, Leo Ash felt it was better to let her rest for a while.
In any case, even a guy like Otto who loves to order people around...
*—after seeing Rita's current miserable state, he should probably be a little more careful not to completely break this useful 'tool', right?*
...
St. Freya High School, Infirmary
Outside the infirmary, Theresa and Himeko stared at each other, then sighed in unison.
Cocolia was dead.
For the two of them, this wasn't exactly bad news.
After all, both had been involved in the Nagazora City incident.
Himeko had directly confronted Cocolia's Titan squad on the Hyperion. If she hadn't decisively burned her life force, Cocolia's Titans would have killed some of Himeko's subordinates.
Theresa had it even worse. She went out to save people and ended up encountering a Herrscher born from Cocolia's reckless actions.
Although it later turned out that Yuna was a good kid, if Leo Ash and Kiana hadn't been there to help Theresa back then, she would have died.
Bronya had always believed that her foster mother, Cocolia, was only an enemy to Yuna, Leo Ash, Mei, and Kiana.
But the little girl had subconsciously overlooked the fact that the number of people Cocolia had directly and indirectly harmed was far greater than just the four peers she lived with.
It was just that Himeko usually knew how to restrain her emotions, and the kind-hearted Theresa felt sorry for Bronya, so they didn't excessively show their hatred for Cocolia in front of her.
If Bronya hadn't looked so miserable when she was sent back, the two of them would honestly be popping champagne in Theresa's office right now.
But seeing the few scratches on Bronya's body and the tear stains on her face when she returned, it was hard for them to smile.
Cocolia got what she deserved, that was true, but Bronya...
She had just lost the mother she revered. As her teachers, they had to consider the young girl's personal feelings.
Of course, Bronya, who had been unconscious since before Cocolia's death, didn't know yet that Cocolia was dead.
But everyone knew this little girl had a very high IQ. Trying to comfort her with lines like 'Your foster mother isn't dead, she was just transferred somewhere else' would be useless and only feel like an insult to her intelligence.
"So, what should we do now?"
Seeing Himeko actually toss the problem to her, Theresa raised an eyebrow and shot back irritably.
"Who was it that said they have a Ph.D.?"
"At a time like this, Dr. Himeko of high intelligence, could you perhaps use the eloquence that befits a highly educated person like you and think of a way to comfort our poor student?"
"Please keep your voice down..."
Hearing Theresa's words, Himeko quickly leaned closer and whispered.
"If I had a plan, I would have used it. The problem is..."
"I was at least eighteen when my dad died, so I could handle the shock better."
"But Bronya is not even fourteen yet. Telling her 'your mother is dead' at a time like this—is that something eloquence can solve?"
"Then there's no other way."
With a soft sigh, Theresa reluctantly took out her communicator.
"I really didn't want to bother that child."
After dialing a number, Theresa and Himeko heard an upbeat Far East song blast from the device.
"Fukai yoru no yami—"
Then, in the next instant, the person who had arrived took out their communicator and hung up Theresa's call.
"Matriarch, I'm here."
*Wow, this kid.*
Looking at the arrived Leo Ash and the Cioara who followed him, Theresa felt more and more pleased with her kinsman.
Just a moment ago, she had received news that Leo Ash had returned to Schicksal HQ for a debriefing.
She hadn't expected that just a few hours later, Leo Ash would already be back at the Far East Branch.
And judging by his tone and actions, he had already prepared what to say to comfort Bronya.
*What a good kid.*
*It's just a pity that Grandpa thinks so too.*
"Leo Ash, you..."
After glancing at the incredibly relaxed Cioara beside Leo Ash, Himeko chose to keep her mouth shut and not ask any more questions about what he was planning.
As teachers, the fact that she and Theresa didn't know how to comfort their student was already embarrassing enough.
Now that a student was stepping up to solve the problem, if she were to ask all sorts of questions...
Honestly, a good-natured kid like Leo Ash probably wouldn't mind.
But they were already so embarrassed. To interfere with his actions now—if they embarrassed themselves any further, Himeko wouldn't even have the face to be Leo Ash's teacher anymore.
"Hey, Major Ash."
Seeing Leo Ash place his hand on the doorknob, Raven suddenly asked.
"Your words..."
"They still count, of course."
Looking back at Raven, Leo Ash gave her a small smile.
"Once you tell Bronya everything you know about Cocolia, we'll be even."
"It's better to resolve enmity than to create it. We'll all be working together in the same organization from now on, after all. There's no need to make our relationship so tense."
"Heh, I like the sound of that."
With Leo Ash's promise, Raven was completely at ease.
Just earlier, Leo Ash, who had suddenly returned to the Far East Branch, had immediately sought her out to ask about Cocolia's cooperation with World Serpent.
According to Leo Ash himself at the time—he firmly believed that Cocolia must have been up to some shady business while working with World Serpent.
And so, Raven, whose life was in Leo Ash's hands, told him everything she knew about Cocolia.
After Raven finished, she saw a thoughtful expression appear on Leo Ash's face.
Then, Leo Ash made the promise they had just mentioned.
Raven would tell Bronya what Cocolia had done.
And after that, Leo Ash would no longer target Raven, either openly or secretly, for almost getting him killed.
If it were anyone else, Raven might not have believed them.
But when it came to Leo Ash, Raven trusted his character.
This wasn't because he was handsome.
It was mainly because after spending time together, Raven felt that Leo Ash didn't really hold a grudge over that incident.
Plus, the fact that many of the people around him had fought against him at some point, yet he still cared for his companions, made Raven decisively agree to his request.
After the two entered Bronya's hospital room, Leo Ash's eyes flickered as he walked over to Bronya's bed, and then...
—he pinched Bronya's nose.
"Mmph...!"
Under Leo Ash's direct and rough action, Bronya, who had been pretending to be asleep, slapped his hand away and glared at him, puffing her cheeks.
"Brother Leo Ash, you... are so mean."
"Can't Bronya even rest for a little while?"
"Of course not. You have important things to do."
Seeing the girl's expression already showing a hint of sorrow, Leo Ash said bluntly.
"You're a smart kid. You should know what I came here to talk about today."
"...What did Mother Cocolia do in the end?"
Hearing the girl's desperate question, Leo Ash replied calmly.
"After you failed to persuade her and she took control of your body, she dispatched ten Titans and one large robot to cause destruction in the outskirts of England."
"Unfortunately for her, your foster mother, who was planning to capture me, miscalculated my strength. So after I dealt with those chunks of metal, she voluntarily turned into a Honkai Beast."
"I don't want to say much about what happened next. I already told you, 'There are orders from above, and I will obey them. If Cocolia had been willing to surrender peacefully, I certainly wouldn't have killed her'."
"But regretfully, your foster mother did not understand the severity of the situation, so..."
Seeing tears well up in Bronya's eyes again, Leo Ash still said the one thing Bronya didn't want to face, but had to.
"Your foster mother, Cocolia, is dead."
"If you want revenge, you can come find me anytime. If you want to punch me a couple of times right now, you can do that too. I won't fight back."
"But, after you've vented your emotions, I think you should listen to the intelligence I have now—Teacher Cioara, if you please."
"Hah, you really are gentle."
Hearing Leo Ash's sincere words, Raven realized he genuinely didn't mind if Bronya took her anger out on him.
But in Raven's opinion, this kind of excessive gentleness... Hmph, whatever, his gentleness isn't a bad thing for me.
"Bronya, you must be grieving over Cocolia's passing right now, but I have some very unfortunate news for you."
"Perhaps in your foster mother's eyes, you weren't a daughter worth doting on, but merely one of her bargaining chips."
"If you want to know why I think so, the answer is simple."
Seeing Bronya's vacant eyes turn to her, Raven scoffed.
"Without your knowledge, Cocolia had already handed over your brothers and sisters from the orphanage to World Serpent as hostages."
"What did you say..."
Hearing this from Raven's mouth, Bronya panicked.
"You're lying!"
"Bronya, you've lost your cool."
Seeing Bronya's panicked expression, Leo Ash took over and continued.
"The reason you're panicking is because you realize in your heart—that's something Cocolia would do."
"But to protect that last shred of a beautiful image you have of your foster mother, you chose to defy reason and deny this possibility."
"If you need to vent, you can use me as a punching bag, but now..."
"—it's about time you woke up from the dream."
Taking out a photo he had taken of the child clone, Leo Ash said to Bronya.
"This child, like that last batch of blue-haired clones, is another unfortunate soul created by Cocolia to be used as a soldier."
"But Cocolia did the same thing to him as she did to you—she conducted human experiments on this child, implanting Pseudo-Herrscher Cores into his body, turning him into the human core for the Sky Father mech."
"Think about it carefully. Your foster mother may have given you warmth, but she is also the villain who caused the children of Cocolia's orphanage to suffer."
"I warned you before. You have a chip planted in your brain by her. And now—do you still think I'm trying to drive a wedge between you and Cocolia?"
Under Leo Ash's barrage of questions, Bronya opened her mouth to retort.
But after opening it, she didn't know what to say.
It was precisely because Bronya was a smart person that she knew everything Leo Ash said was true.
After all, as a victim of the X-10 Experiment, Bronya knew very well that these were all facts.
"Whether you want to grieve for your foster mother or take your anger out on me, I won't interfere too much. But I think, more important than all that, there's something you need to do."
Leo Ash then took out a small knife, placed it in Bronya's hand, and said to her.
"Cocolia was not a good person, but your friends are innocent."
"As someone who has the power to save them, what should you be doing right now? Grieving for a villain who used you, or pulling yourself together to save your friends?"
Hearing this well-prepared speech from Leo Ash, Raven was now truly and completely impressed.
Nothing Leo Ash said was wrong; after all, it was all true.
But the timing of his words was brilliant.
By saying these things while Bronya was still grieving, Leo Ash successfully diverted her attention.
When Bronya has something else to do, she will likely start to numb herself by being overly busy.
*Heh, after some time passes, she'll probably figure things out on her own.*
*Not only is his combat prowess formidable, but he also displays sufficient intelligence when handling these daily affairs...*
*Sigh, what a pity—oh wait, I'm not part of World Serpent anymore. What am I pitying!*
*Good thing he's on my side. Otherwise, I'd be the one with the headache right now.*
However, just as this thought crossed her mind, Raven saw Leo Ash suddenly glance at her.
Immediately, she felt a chill run down her spine.
*Damn it, I was too busy being impressed, I forgot there was one more thing I needed to say.*
Understanding Leo Ash's intention, Raven immediately said to Bronya.
"Actually, Bronya, I think there's one more piece of news I have to tell you."
"Teacher Cioara... please, speak."
Hearing Bronya address her this way, Raven understood that Bronya had calmed down a bit.
It was because of this that Bronya, realizing she needed something from her, used a respectful title for a former enemy.
"Well, how should I put this... you know that organization, World Serpent, they've been dabbling in some Honkai Beast transformation potions."
"As one of the organization's executives, although I wasn't privy to core secrets, I know very well that another executive, Jackal, is quite skilled in human modification."
At that moment, hearing this news from Raven, Bronya felt her entire body turn ice-cold.
Noticing the change in Bronya's expression, Raven sighed softly and said.
"I've checked the records. Like me, you were a victim of the massive Honkai Eruption in Siberia at the end of the Second Eruption."
"And those of us who survived all had a considerable resistance to Honkai Energy. I imagine your companions from the orphanage have similar traits."
"To a demon scientist like Jackal, your companions might just be the best test subjects."
"If you don't hurry, what do you think will happen to the children she handed over to World Serpent after Cocolia's death?"
"Alright, Teacher Cioara, that's enough."
Leo Ash cut Raven off, looking at her with a blank expression.
Seeing his attitude, Raven promptly shut her mouth, gave Bronya a helpless look, and obediently left the room.
"Alright, what she said was a bit extreme, but it's not without reason, so..."
"Brother Leo Ash, Bronya knows..."
"Bronya knows that Mother Cocolia's crimes are unforgivable."
"Bronya also knows that Seele and everyone else are waiting for Bronya to save them."
"But right now..."
Looking at the knife Leo Ash had given her, Bronya set it aside and finally looked at him, unable to hold back her tears.
"Bronya, can I cry for just a little while?"
"Just a little while... just for a little while..."
"After that..."
"—Bronya will pull herself together."
Looking at the weeping girl, Leo Ash pulled her into an embrace without another word.
And Bronya, heartbroken, did not use Leo Ash as an outlet for her anger, but simply leaned against his chest and began to cry her heart out.
Listening to Bronya's sobs, Leo Ash felt that his emotions were a bit complicated.
He had no parents, so he naturally couldn't understand her feelings.
But now...
*Sigh, if I could, I wouldn't have wanted to use these tactics on you while you were hurting.*
*But right now, I have no choice.*
*Bronya, you are a good daughter.*
*It's just a pity that your foster mother, Cocolia, was not a good mother.*
*She doesn't deserve to be your mother, so...*
*—after you've finished crying and grieving, the rest of us will do our best to help you forget her.*
....